Simons Medal to Be Awarded to Richard H. Jenrette and Thomas Gordon Smith

The Historic Preservation and Community Planning Program in the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present the Albert Simons Medal of Excellence to Richard Hampton Jenrette for outstanding work in historic preservation, and to architect Thomas Gordon Smith for outstanding work in design and education.

Smith will speak about his own design work and also focus on Jenrette’s Millford Plantation house, one of the greatest Greek Revival Houses in the United States.

The event will take place on Thurs., Nov. 6, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Admission is free and open to the public.

Richard Hampton Jenrette is a renowned preservationist and co-founder of the Wall Street investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Author of Adventures with Old Houses and several other books, Jenrette has a love of old houses which inspired him to buy and restore historic homes across the East coast, especially in New York, but also in the Carolinas. In Charleston, S.C., he is the owner of the Roper House, a circa-1838 Greek Revival mansion at Nine East Battery. Preservation and restoration are the two major themes in Jenrette’s career and success.

Thomas Gordon Smith is a leader in contemporary developments of classical architecture. He is author of various architecture books and publications, and teaches as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. In addition, Smith is head of his own firm, Thomas Gordon Smith Architects. His role in contemporary architecture is reflected in more than 20 museum exhibitions in extensive publications of his buildings, and in scholarly publications of his research.

ABOUT THE SIMONS MEDAL: Albert Simons pioneered the teaching of art at the College in 1924, with a longstanding course in art history. Years later, a general department of fine arts was established and grew to become the School of the Arts, which is on the cusp of its twenty-fifth anniversary and currently offers studies in seven major areas. The Simons Medal honors individuals who have excelled in one or more of the areas in which Simons excelled, including civic design, architectural design, historic preservation and urban planning. Prior Simons Medal recipients include His Royal Highness Prince Charles – The Prince of Wales, Mayor Joseph P. Riley, John D. Milner, Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater–Zyberk, and Allan Greenberg.